Closer Quarters
Sirius very quietly cast the charm, levitating them into the air. Marlene thankfully muffled her gasp behind her hand before spinning and wrapping her arms around his waist, holding tightly.
He wrapped his free hand around her waist, mostly because it was easier to maneuver them that way. Very little of it had to do with enjoying having her pressed against him.
"Alright, McKinnon?" Sirius whispered against the top of her ear.
"Sure, just don't drop us." She held on a little tighter.
"So little faith."
"I have literally met puddles deeper than you, Black, so forgive my lack of faith."
Sirius laughed quietly. "Well, that's not a very nice way of putting it. But yes, I suppose you're right. Don't worry, McKinnon, I won't be doing anything to jeopardize this mission. Your jacket is too important to risk being found out."
He felt her smirk against his neck and it made him feel ten feet tall.
Levitating them through the girls' dorms was no small feat as he constantly had to avoid Slytherins moving around them.
Sirius found an alcove and stopped them to pull out the Map.
"What's that?" Marlene pulled back slightly when he let go of her, but kept a tight grip on his waist.
"A bit of magic." He touched his wand and whispered as quietly as he could. The map filled out and he quickly turned to the Slytherin girls' dorms. "Help me look for Alecto's roommates."
Marlene gawked at the map for a long moment before her eyes snapped back up to him. "When we get out of this, I want to know what this is."
"Right, but first we need to get out of this, so if you please?" He gestured to the Map again.
Marlene and him looked at all the names of girls Sirius honestly would like to throw into the Black Lake when suddenly she touched the page. "There! Maleficent Simmons! She's one of Tweedle Dumb's roommates!"
"Hold this and watch for anyone we don't want to deal with." He handed her the Map and began moving them to the dorm that Maleficent was sitting in.
"She's moving towards the door!" Marlene hissed as he reached out to open the dorm door.
Sirius threw them to the side, pinning Marlene against the wall with his body, the Map pressed between them.
Sure enough, Maleficent exited the dorm and moved toward the common room.
"That was close." Marlene's breath tickled his neck and Sirius looked down to find her ice blue eyes staring right back at him.
He forced himself to chuckle, to put some figurative space between them, to stop himself from doing something stupid, like leaning in and kissing her.
"Nice moves, Black," Marlene gave his chest a light shove. "I see why the girls fall at your feet."
Sirius smirked as she managed to break the spell that had frozen him. "You know you're my favorite, right?"
A light brightened her eyes and Sirius nearly threw the game away right there.
"I better be." She gestured toward the dorm. "Let's get my jacket back, yeah?"
"Right." Sirius moved them into the dorm and looked around. He heard parchment crinkling under Marlene's fist and pulled the Map from her grasp before she took her anger out on it.
"I don't see it." She huffed.
Sirius lowered them to the ground. "Here, get out and start looking for it. I have an idea."
"Aren't you going to help me?"
"I am," Sirius gave her a push out of the cloak. "But I need the cloak to do it." And while still under the cloak, he transformed into Padfoot.
